Electric switch



May 29, 1951 J. H. WILLIAMS suzcmxc SWITCH Filed Nov. 10, 1948 IN V EN TOR. John HMV/fams GM J1 MW Patented May 29, 1951 2,554,724 ELECTRIC SWITCH John H. Williams, Barring ton, Ill., assignor to Oak Mfg. 00., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application November 10, 1948, Serial No. 59,210

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an electrical apparatus and particularly to a rotary type switch. The invention in particular pertains to a rotary type switch susceptible to manufacture in small sizes and being sufiiciently flexible to provide many switching combinations. A switch embodying the present invention is particularly useful for operating upon a large number of circuits simu1- taneously, such as for example, when switching from one wave band to another wave band in a radio receiver or transmitter or for establishing difierent connections in vacuum tube testers when changing from one type of tube to another type of tube. Other uses for the switch will occur to those skilled in the art.

For a more complete description of the invention reference will now be made to the drawing wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of one section of a switch construction embodying the present invention. Figure 2 is a section on'line 2--2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1 and Figure 4 is a plan view along line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, each switch section comprises rotor III and stator II. Any desired number of switch sections may be ganged together upon a common shaft as desired. Suitable index mechanism may be used with such switches.

Rotor IG comprises central insulating ring I5 of suitable insulating material such as Bakelite or the like. Ring I5 preferably has a series of slots I6 disposed at a suitable portion thereof and regularly spaced around the entire extent of the ring. Disposed against one side face of ring member I5 may be one or more metal contacts I8, these being fiat and arcuate.

The angular extent of one or more of contact members I8 may be as little or as great as desired, extending from a maximum of 360 to a minimum of zero where no contact member is provided. Any number of contact members may be provided, each one having a desired angular extent with suflicient space between ends thereof to provide desired switching action. Contact member or members I8 all have inner edge 20 lying on the circumference of one circle whose center is coincident with the center of member I5. The outer edge of contact members I 8 may be irregular for a purpose to be apparent later. In order to maintain contact members I8 in rotative- 1y looked relation to member I5, contact members I8 have provided at spaced intervals fingers 2| proportioned to enter into slots I8. Preferably fingers 2I fit snugly in the corresponding slots,

Disposed against the outer face of contact members I8 is insulating ring 23 of suitable insulating material. Insulating ring 23 is sufiicient- 1y wide so that it extends along the face of contact I8 on both sides of fingers 2I. Insulating ring 23 may conveniently have about the same dimensions as ring I5 except for the thickness. As will be apparent from the drawing, contact members I8 extend well beyond insulating members I5 and 23 so as to provide readily accessible contact portions. Cooperating with such contact portions are fixed contacts 30 of suitable material and preferably having jaws extending on opposite sides of the contact member. Fixed contacts 30 are disposed on insulating stator member 3| of Bakelite or the like. For convenience, stator member 3I may have a series of apertures therethrough at uniformly spaced intervals and any number of fixed contacts may be carried by eyelets 32 in the apertures. Stator 3I preferably, though not necessarily, has a number of fingers 34 extending inwardly and adapted to contact the outer edge of insulating ring I5. Otherwise stator member 3| has the inner portion cut to provide clearance within which the jaws of the fixed contacts may extend for proper cooperation with contact members [8.

Another set of flat contact members 33 generally similar to contact members I 8 may be provided and disposed against the other side of ring I5. Contact members 33 are generally similar to contact members I8 and have fingers 35 at desired intervals for engaging one or more slots in insulating ring I5. It is understood that the fingers from contact members 33 are clear of the fingers from contact members I8 and that the slots in insulating member I5 used by one contact finger are not used by the contact finger of another contact member. In all cases, the fingers merely extend into the slots of insulating member I5 and do not extend beyond insulating member I5.

Any desired combination of contacts for contact members 33 may be provided. Cooperating with contact members 33 are fixed contacts 38. These fixed contacts may be generally similar to fixed contacts 30. Thus by shaping the outer edges of contact members I8 and 33 and by proper control of the size of the fixed contacts 30 and 38, any desired switching combinations may be obtained.

Insulating ring 31, similar to ring 23, is provided and bears against the outer face of contact members 33.

In order to maintain the assembly intact, eyelet 40 is provided. This eyelet extends within the rotor and has the metal bent over on opposite sides of insulating members 23 and 31. In order to rotatively couple a shaft to the rotor, eyelet 40 may have a noncircular shape as shown, the shape shown being adapted to accommodate a shaft with two diametrically opposed flat portions.

What is claimed. is:

1. A switch comprising a central annular insulating member having fiat sides and a series of apertures therethrough, additional annular insulating members disposed against the sides of said central member, flat contact members disposed between said central member and additional members and having portions projecting beyond said insulating members for switching action and having tongues projecting into the apertures of said central member to rotatively lock said contact members, there being one tongue for an aperture with the tongues being shorter than the thickness of said central member, means for maintaining said central and additional insulating members tightly in predetermined relation to provide a rotor and fixed REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,067,552 Taylor Jan. 12, 1937 2,067,557 Allison Jan. 12, 1937 2,128,279 Allison Aug. 30, 1938 

